Chemical Shift Tensors Research Articles

Single Crystal Solid-State NMR of Magnetically Oriented Powder

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy is one of the most widely used methods for investigating crystal structures, along with the X-ray and neutron diffraction methods. Solid-state NMR can provide structural information including isotropic chemical shift, dipolar and quadrupolar couplings, spin diffusion, and chemical shift tensor. Among these, the chemical shift tensor is of particular significance because the electronic environment around a nucleus is directly reflected on the chemical shift tensor. However, full information of the chemical shift tensor, including principal values and axes, is difficult to obtain experimentally because a large single crystal is required for the measurement. On the other hand, we have proposed the use of a magnetically oriented microcrystal array (MOMA) as an alternative to a single crystal.[1,2] A MOMA is a composite in which microcrystals are aligned three-dimensionally, prepared by using a time-dependent magnetic field. We recently demonstrated that the13C chemical shift tensors of L-alanine crystal can be completely determined by application of the standard procedure in the single-crystal rotation method to a MOMA of L-alanine microcrystals,[3] as shown in Figure 1. The L-alanine MOMA produces sharp resonance peaks without resolution enhancement by magic angle spinning (MAS). In addition, we observed that the positions of the13C resonance peaks vary systematically as a function of the angle ψ that is the sample-rotation angle about the axis inclined by the magic angle with respect to the NMR magnetic field. From the ψ-dependence of the chemical shifts,13C chemical shift tensor was completely determined. We confirmed that the combination of MOMA with the single-crystal rotation method can be applied to other nuclei such as31P and15N. These results clearly show that the MOMA method is a powerful tool for obtaining full information of the chemical shift tensor from a microcrystalline powder without MAS.

Powder Crystallography by Combining NMR and Crystal Structure Predictions

State-of-the-art work in the field of NMR crystallography for molecular systems at natural abundance has recently focused on the accurate measurement of 1H chemical shift values. We will show how when coupled with crystal structure prediction (CSP) methods, this protocol is well-suited for solving the crystal structures of small to medium sized organic molecules, including cocaine and the de-novo structure determination of AZD8329.[1,2] As complementary 1D and 2D NMR experiments are needed for the 1H assignment process, other information, such as isotropic 13C chemical shift values (δiso) are measured. Unfortunately, 13C chemical shifts are not generally useful for structure determination. Additional NMR parameters that are sensitive to structure would ensure that the structure determination procedure is robust, and would provide more accurate refinements when studying larger or more challenging systems. Here, we measure 13C chemical shift tensors for a variety of prototypical organic pharmaceuticals and use density functional theory computations under the gauge-including projector augmented-wave (GIPAW) formalism to probe whether these parameters may be discriminatory for unit cell determinations and structure determination (notably when added to the CSP + 1H chemical shifts protocol).

Calcium-43 chemical shift and electric field gradient tensor interplay: a sensitive probe of structure, polymorphism, and hydration.

Calcium is the 5th most abundant element on earth, and is found in numerous biological tissues, proteins, materials, and increasingly in catalysts. However, due to a number of unfavourable nuclear properties, such as a low magnetogyric ratio, very low natural abundance, and its nuclear electric quadrupole moment, development of solid-state (43)Ca NMR has been constrained relative to similar nuclides. In this study, 12 commonly-available calcium compounds are analyzed via(43)Ca solid-state NMR and the information which may be obtained by the measurement of both the (43)Ca electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift tensors (the latter of which are extremely rare with only a handful of literature examples) is discussed. Combined with density functional theory (DFT) computations, this 'tensor interplay' is, for the first time for (43)Ca, illustrated to be diagnostic in distinguishing polymorphs (e.g., calcium formate), and the degree of hydration (e.g., CaCl2·2H2O and calcium tartrate tetrahydrate). For Ca(OH)2, we outline the first example of (1)H to (43)Ca cross-polarization on a sample at natural abundance in (43)Ca. Using prior knowledge of the relationship between the isotropic calcium chemical shift and the calcium quadrupolar coupling constant (CQ) with coordination number, we postulate the coordination number in a sample of calcium levulinate dihydrate, which does not have a known crystal structure. Natural samples of CaCO3 (aragonite polymorph) are used to show that the synthetic structure is present in nature. Gauge-including projector augmented-wave (GIPAW) DFT computations using accepted crystal structures for many of these systems generally result in calculated NMR tensor parameters which are in very good agreement with the experimental observations. This combination of (43)Ca NMR measurements with GIPAW DFT ultimately allows us to establish clear correlations between various solid-state (43)Ca NMR observables and selected structural parameters, such as unit cell dimensions and average Ca-O bond distances.

Origin of the Thermodynamic Stability of the Polymorph IV of Crystalline Barbituric Acid: Evidence from Solid-State NMR and Electron Density Analyses

In this contribution, the origin of the stability of the polymorph IV (enol form) of crystalline barbituric acid relative to the polymorph II (keto form) is investigated using solid-state NMR spectroscopy and electron density analysis. Electron density analysis reveals differences in the nature of the intermolecular contacts in the different polymorphs of barbituric acid. Comparing the properties of hypothetical single molecules of barbituric acid with cluster models shows that the electronic and magnetic properties of polymorphs of barbituric acid can be employed to measure the strengths of the intermolecular interactions. Changes in the magnitudes of the NMR chemical shift tensors are also shown to be parallel to the intermolecular delocalization index of Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules, which measures the covalency of an intermolecular interaction.

Slow and Very Fast MAS Solid State NMR Study of Biopolymers

SummaryIn the first part of article, the “NMR Crystallography” approach as tool to fine refinement of solid state structure of biopolymers is presented, employing the α polymorph of L‐polylactide (PLLA) as model. Slow Magic Angle Spinning (MAS) technique (with spinning rate of sample in range from 1.2 kHz to 8.0 kHz) was used to assign 13C isotropic chemical shifts and values of 13C δii principal elements of chemical shifts tensors (CST). Theoretical 13C shielding parameters σii were obtained employing GIPAW (Gauge Invariant Projector Augmented Wave) method and compared with experimental 13C δii elements. The computed and experimental 13C CP/MAS spectra for WAND (Wide Angle Neutron Diffraction) geometry of powdered α PLLA were evaluated. It was revealed that the computed model of α PLLA model better fit to experimental NMR spectra.In the second part of article the applications of the new NMR methodology, so called very fast MAS (VF MAS) with sample spinning over 60 kHz are presented. The power of this approach is shown employing the 13C and 15N labeled protein, ubiquitin. We revealed that Cross‐Polarization with Variable Contact (CPVC) time sequence under very‐fast MAS condition performed in two‐dimensional (2D) mode is very efficient method to measure accurately the CH and NH distances, and to analyze the dynamics of proteins with overlapped resonances in aliphatic and aromatic regions.

Membrane protein structure from rotational diffusion

The motional averaging of powder pattern line shapes is one of the most fundamental aspects of sold-state NMR. Since membrane proteins in liquid crystalline phospholipid bilayers undergo fast rotational diffusion, all of the signals reflect the angles of the principal axes of their dipole–dipole and chemical shift tensors with respect to the axis defined by the bilayer normal. The frequency span and sign of the axially symmetric powder patterns that result from motional averaging about a common axis provide sufficient structural restraints for the calculation of the three-dimensional structure of a membrane protein in a phospholipid bilayer environment. The method is referred to as rotationally aligned (RA) solid-state NMR and demonstrated with results on full-length, unmodified membrane proteins with one, two, and seven trans-membrane helices. RA solid-state NMR is complementary to other solid-state NMR methods, in particular oriented sample (OS) solid-state NMR of stationary, aligned samples. Structural distortions of membrane proteins from the truncations of terminal residues and other sequence modifications, and the use of detergent micelles instead of phospholipid bilayers have also been demonstrated. Thus, it is highly advantageous to determine the structures of unmodified membrane proteins in liquid crystalline phospholipid bilayers under physiological conditions. RA solid-state NMR provides a general method for obtaining accurate and precise structures of membrane proteins under near-native conditions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: NMR Spectroscopy for Atomistic Views of Biomembranes and Cell Surfaces. Guest Editors: Lynette Cegelski and David P. Weliky.

Orientational Order of Two Fluoro- and Isothiocyanate-Substituted Nematogens by Combination of 13C NMR Spectroscopy and DFT Calculations

Orientational order properties of two nematogens containing a fluoro- and isothiocyanate-substituted biphenyl moiety have been investigated by means of (13)C NMR spectroscopy. (13)C NMR spectra acquired on static samples under high-power (1)H-decoupling allowed both (13)C chemical shift anisotropies and (13)C-(19)F couplings to be measured. These data were used to determine the local principal order parameter and biaxiality for the different rigid fragments of the molecules. To this aim, advanced DFT methods for the calculation of geometrical parameters and chemical shift tensors were used. The orientational order parameters obtained by NMR have been critically compared with those obtained by dielectric spectroscopy. Trends of order parameters with temperature have been analyzed in terms of both mean field theory and the empirical Haller equation.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectra and 207Pb Chemical-Shift Tensors of Lead Carboxylates Relevant to Soap Formation in Oil Paintings

Soap formation in traditional oil paintings occurs when heavy-metal-containing pigments, such as lead white, 2PbCO3·Pb(OH)2, and lead tin yellow type I, Pb2SnO4, react with fatty acids in the binding medium. These soaps may form aggregates that can be 100-200 μm in diameter, which swell and protrude through the paint surface, resulting in the degradation of the paint film and damage to the integrity of the artwork. The factors that trigger soap formation and the mechanism(s) of the process are not yet well understood. To elucidate these issues, chemical and structural information is necessary, which can be obtained using solid-state (207)Pb and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In this article, we report (207)Pb and (13)C solid-state NMR spectra and (207)Pb chemical-shift tensors of lead carboxylates implicated in soap formation: lead stearate, lead palmitate, and lead azelate, in addition to lead oleate and lead heptanoate for comparison. The (13)C cross polarization with magic-angle spinning (MAS) spectra of these lead carboxylates show resonance doubling for the carbons closest to the lead, indicating two different conformations of the fatty acid chains in the asymmetric unit. The (207)Pb NMR spectra, from which tensors were determined, were obtained with direct excitation and spin-temperature alternation, with and without MAS, and with the wide band uniform rate smooth truncation Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequence. The results of these experiments show that the local coordination environment of lead azelate is different from lead palmitate and lead stearate and could thus be distinguished from these in a paint film displaying soap formation. In addition, comparing the (207)Pb NMR chemical-shift tensors of the lead carboxylates studied shows that crystal packing of the acyl chains may be a factor in determining the coordination environment around the lead.

Dismutational and Global‐Minimum Isomers of Heavier 1,4‐Dimetallatetrasilabenzenes of Group 14

Aromatic species with heavier Group 14 elements show remarkable differences in terms of stability, structure, and reactivity. Herein we report our experimental and theoretical investigations regarding isomers of germanium- and tin-containing benzene analogues E2Si4R6 (E=Ge, Sn). The germanium-substituted dismutational isomer with a tricyclic six-membered scaffold is isolable, but unlike the homonuclear Si6 analogue slowly rearranges even at room temperature to give the propellane-type global minimum isomer. In case of E=Sn the dismutational isomer may be an intermediate on the pathway to the propellane-type species obtained, but cannot be detected even at low temperature. Unprecedentedly large chemical shift anisotropies in the (29)Si NMR spectra that increase from the Si6 species through Ge2Si4 to Sn2Si4 are rationalized by progressively larger paramagnetic-term contributions to the chemical shift tensor as a result of diminishing HOMO-LUMO gaps, which are also reflected in the absorption spectra, as well as by appearance and symmetry of these frontier orbitals.

Solid-state NMR/NQR and first-principles study of two niobium halide cluster compounds

Two hexanuclear niobium halide cluster compounds with a [Nb6X12]2+ (X=Cl, Br) diamagnetic cluster core, have been studied by a combination of experimental solid-state NMR/NQR techniques and PAW/GIPAW calculations. For niobium sites the NMR parameters were determined by using variable Bo field static broadband NMR measurements and additional NQR measurements. It was found that they possess large positive chemical shifts, contrary to majority of niobium compounds studied so far by solid-state NMR, but in accordance with chemical shifts of 95Mo nuclei in structurally related compounds containing [Mo6Br8]4+ cluster cores. Experimentally determined δiso(93Nb) values are in the range from 2400 to 3000ppm. A detailed analysis of geometrical relations between computed electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift (CS) tensors with respect to structural features of cluster units was carried out. These tensors on niobium sites are almost axially symmetric with parallel orientation of the largest EFG and the smallest CS principal axes (Vzz and δ33) coinciding with the molecular four-fold axis of the [Nb6X12]2+ unit. Bridging halogen sites are characterized by large asymmetry of EFG and CS tensors, the largest EFG principal axis (Vzz) is perpendicular to the X-Nb bonds, while intermediate EFG principal axis (Vyy) and the largest CS principal axis (δ11) are oriented in the radial direction with respect to the center of the cluster unit. For more symmetrical bromide compound the PAW predictions for EFG parameters are in better correspondence with the NMR/NQR measurements than in the less symmetrical chlorine compound. Theoretically predicted NMR parameters of bridging halogen sites were checked by 79/81Br NQR and 35Cl solid-state NMR measurements.

A Magic-Angle Spinning NMR Method for the Site-Specific Measurement of Proton Chemical-Shift Anisotropy in Biological and Organic Solids.

Proton chemical shifts are a rich probe of structure and hydrogen bonding environments in organic and biological molecules. Until recently, measurements of 1H chemical shift tensors have been restricted to either solid systems with sparse proton sites or were based on the indirect determination of anisotropic tensor components from cross-relaxation and liquid-crystal experiments. We have introduced an MAS approach that permits site-resolved determination of CSA tensors of protons forming chemical bonds with labeled spin-1/2 nuclei in fully protonated solids with multiple sites, including organic molecules and proteins. This approach, originally introduced for the measurements of chemical shift tensors of amide protons, is based on three RN-symmetry based experiments, from which the principal components of the 1H CS tensor can be reliably extracted by simultaneous triple fit of the data. In this article, we expand our approach to a much more challenging system involving aliphatic and aromatic protons. We start with a review of the prior work on experimental-NMR and computational-quantum-chemical approaches for the measurements of 1H chemical shift tensors and for relating these to the electronic structures. We then present our experimental results on U-13C,15N-labeled histdine demonstrating that 1H chemical shift tensors can be reliably determined for the 1H15N and 1H13C spin pairs in cationic and neutral forms of histidine. Finally, we demonstrate that the experimental 1H(C) and 1H(N) chemical shift tensors are in agreement with Density Functional Theory calculations, therefore establishing the usefulness of our method for characterization of structure and hydrogen bonding environment in organic and biological solids.

Calculation of chemical-shift tensors of heavy nuclei: a DFT/ZORA investigation of ¹⁹⁹Hg chemical-shift tensors in solids, and the effects of cluster size and electronic-state approximations.

Calculations of the nuclear magnetic resonance chemical-shielding tensors of a suite of mercury-containing materials using various cluster models for the structures provide a stringent test of the procedures for forming models and for calculation with various methods. The inclusion of higher co-ordination shells in the molecular clusters permits quantum chemical calculations of (199)Hg chemical-shielding tensor elements within 3% of the experimental values. We show that it is possible to reduce the size of computationally expensive molecular-cluster calculations with limited effect on calculated NMR parameters by carefully introducing the frozen core approximation. The importance of the relativistic Hamiltonian for accurate predictions of chemical-shielding values is demonstrated within the molecular cluster approach. The results demonstrate that careful design of a cluster to represent the solid-state structure, inclusion of relativistic components in the Hamiltonian at least at the spin-orbit level, and judicious use of approximations are essential to obtain good agreement with experimental results.

A115In solid-state NMR study of low oxidation-state indium complexes

115In solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy is applied to characterise a variety of low oxidation-state indium(I) compounds. 115In static wideline SSNMR spectra of several In(I) complexes were acquired with moderate and ultra-high field NMR spectrometers (9.4 and 21.1 T, respectively). 115In MAS NMR spectra were obtained with moderate and ultra-fast (>60 kHz) spinning speeds at 21.1 T. In certain cases, variable-temperature (VT) 115In SSNMR experiments were performed to study dynamic behaviour and phase transitions. The indium electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift (CS) tensor parameters were determined from the experimental spectra. With the aid of first principles calculations, the tensor parameters and orientations are correlated to the structure and symmetry of the local indium environments. In addition, calculations aid in proposing structural models for samples where single crystal X-ray structures could not be obtained. The rapidity with which high quality 115In SSNMR spectra can be acquired at 21.1 T and the sensitivity of the 115In NMR parameters to the indium environment suggest that 115In SSNMR is a powerful probe of the local chemical environments of indium sites. This work demonstrates that 115In NMR can be applied to a wide range of important materials for the purpose of increasing our understanding of structures and dynamics at the molecular/atomic level, especially for the characterisation of disordered, microcrystalline and/or multi-valence solids for which crystal structures are unavailable.

Solid-state NMR study of halogen-bonded adducts.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy offers unique insights into halogen bonds. NMR parameters such as chemical shifts, quadrupolar coupling constants, J coupling constants, and dipolar coupling constants are in principle sensitive to the formation and local structure of a halogen bond. Carrying out NMR experiments on halogen-bonded adducts in the solid state may provide several advantages over solution studies including (1) the absence of solvent which can interact with halogen bond donor sites and complicate spectral interpretation, (2) the lack of a need for single crystals or even long-range crystalline order, and (3) the potential to measure complete NMR interaction tensors rather than simply their isotropic values. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the NMR interactions and experiments which are relevant to the study of nuclei which are often found in halogen bonds (RX···Y) including (13)C, (35/37)Cl, (79/81)Br, (127)I, (77)Se, and (14/15)N. Experimental examples based on iodoperfluorobenzene halides, bis(trimethylammonium)alkane diiodide, and selenocyanate complexes, as well as haloanilinium halides, are discussed. Of particular interest is the sensitivity of the isotropic chemical shifts, the chemical shift tensor spans, and the halide nuclear electric quadrupolar coupling tensors to the halogen bond geometry in such compounds. Technical limitations associated with the NMR spectroscopy of covalently-bonded halogens are underlined.

Alkaline-Earth Metal Carboxylates Characterized by 43Ca and 87Sr Solid-State NMR: Impact of Metal-Amine Bonding

A series of calcium and strontium complexes featuring aryl carboxylate ligands has been prepared and characterized by alkaline-earth ((43)Ca and (87)Sr) solid-state NMR experiments in a magnetic field of 21.1 T. In the 11 compounds studied as part of this work, a range of coordination motifs are observed including nitrogen atom binding to Ca(2+) and Sr(2+), a binding mode which has not been investigated previously by (43)Ca or (87)Sr solid-state NMR. (43)Ca isotopic enrichment has enabled the full characterization of the (43)Ca electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift tensors of the two calcium sites in calcium p-aminosalicylate (Ca(pams)), where both NMR interactions are affected by the presence of a nitrogen atom in the first coordination sphere of one of the metal sites. The (43)Ca isotropic chemical shift is sensitive to the Ca-N distance as exemplified by the NMR parameters of a second form of Ca(pams) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Studies of the strontium analogue, Sr(pams), confirm a similar sensitivity of the (87)Sr EFG tensor to the presence or absence of nitrogen in the first coordination sphere. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic (87)Sr NMR study of strontium complexes featuring organic ligands. The |CQ((87)Sr)| values are found to be sensitive to the coordination number about Sr(2+). In general, this work has also established a larger data set of reliable experimental |CQ((43)Ca)| values which correlate well with those obtained using gauge-including projector-augmented-wave (GIPAW) DFT calculations. It is found that the use of a recently recommended quadrupole moment for (43)Ca, -44.4 mbarn, improves the agreement with experimental values. This contribution lays the groundwork for the interpretation of (43)Ca and (87)Sr NMR spectra of more challenging systems, particularly where nitrogen-alkaline earth metal bonding is occurring.

Effect of Noncovalent Interactions on the 31P Chemical Shift Tensor of Phosphine Oxides, Phosphinic, Phosphonic, and Phosphoric Acids, and Their Complexes with Lead(II)

The effect of noncovalent interactions such as C–H···O and O–H···O hydrogen bonds and coordination to Pb2+ on the 31P NMR chemical shift tensor in the titled compounds has been studied experimentally and simulated theoretically using the density functional theory gauge-invariant atomic orbital (DFT-GIAO) approach. It has been shown that only in few cases the most suitable measure of these interactions is the isotropic 31P NMR chemical shift. In contrast, the analysis of the anisotropy and the principal components of the 31P NMR chemical shift tensor can be very useful to discriminate between different interactions and to characterize their properties. A great advantage is that these NMR parameters can be correctly simulated at relatively inexpensive levels of theory, namely, B3LYP/cc-pVDZ and B3LYP/6-311G**. Thus, a combination of 31P NMR and time-efficient calculations can be used to study the structural pattern in polycrystalline and noncrystalline materials. An illustrative result is the demonstration of the similarity of the unknown crystal structures of methylphosphonic acid, diphenyl hydrogen phosphate, and lead(II) methylphosphinate to the known crystal structures of tert-butylphosphonic acid, bis(4-chlorophenyl) hydrogen phosphate, and lead(II) vinylphosphonate, respectively. The scope of this approach is wide and covers the study of the local chemical structures in amorphous materials, at surfaces and interfaces.

Establishing Accurate High-Resolution Crystal Structures in the Absence of Diffraction Data and Single Crystals—An NMR Approach

Predicting accurate crystal structures from theoretical consideration has proven to be remarkably challenging. Although significant progress has been made and numerous approaches have now been investigated, selection of the correct structure as the first choice in blind studies is still rarely achieved. Here a process is described that consistently identifies the correct structure from the myriad candidates created from typical crystal structure prediction software. This approach relies on 13C solid-state NMR data and a secondary refinement process that includes lattice fields. Four structures are considered, and in all cases the correct structure is selected as the first choice and the only statistically feasible candidate. Data from 13C chemical shift tensor principal values are found to provide better selectivity, but 13C isotropic shifts also consistently identify the correct structure. This process involves only experimental NMR data and computer-generated structures, yet the structures created appea...

Dynamics in Crystallites of Poly(ε-caprolactone) As Investigated by Solid-State NMR

We investigate the molecular dynamics within the crystallites of poly(e-caprolactone), PCL, crystallized from the melt by means of high-field 13C and low-field 1H NMR spectroscopy, addressing the question of whether it can be classified as a “crystal-fixed” polymer without chain motion through the crystallites. We address fast, slow, and intermediate-regime (microseconds to milliseconds time scale) motions by means of high-resolution of 13C DIPSHIFT and CODEX MAS experiments as well as low-resolution static 1H FID and MSE measurements over a range of temperatures. The DIPSHIFT data provide information on motionally averaged 13C–1H dipole–dipole couplings and indicate the presence of fast (≤1 μs) methylene group librational motions within the crystalline phase, where the amplitudes increase with increasing distance from the rather rigid ester groups. The CODEX experiments, addressing slow (≥ms) local rotations of the chemical-shift anisotropy tensors, suggest the absence of slow intracrystallite chain dyna...

Solid-State 17O NMR of Pharmaceutical Compounds: Salicylic Acid and Aspirin

We report solid-state NMR characterization of the (17)O quadrupole coupling (QC) and chemical shift (CS) tensors in five site-specifically (17)O-labeled samples of salicylic acid and o-acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin). High-quality (17)O NMR spectra were obtained for these important pharmaceutical compounds under both static and magic angle spinning (MAS) conditions at two magnetic fields, 14.0 and 21.1 T. A total of 14 (17)O QC and CS tensors were experimentally determined for the seven oxygen sites in salicylic acid and Aspirin. Although both salicylic acid and Aspirin form hydrogen bonded cyclic dimers in the solid state, we found that the potential curves for the concerted double proton transfer in these two compounds are significantly different. In particular, while the double-well potential curve in Aspirin is nearly symmetrical, it is highly asymmetrical in salicylic acid. This difference results in quite different temperature dependencies in (17)O MAS spectra of the two compounds. A careful analysis of variable-temperature (17)O MAS NMR spectra of Aspirin allowed us to obtain the energy asymmetry (ΔE) of the double-well potential, ΔE = 3.0 ± 0.5 kJ/mol. We were also able to determine a lower limit of ΔE for salicylic acid, ΔE > 10 kJ/mol. These asymmetrical features in potential energy curves were confirmed by plane-wave DFT computations, which yielded ΔE = 3.7 and 17.8 kJ/mol for Aspirin and salicylic acid, respectively. To complement the solid-state (17)O NMR data, we also obtained solid-state (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra for salicylic acid and Aspirin. Using experimental NMR parameters obtained for all magnetic nuclei present in salicylic acid and Aspirin, we found that plane-wave DFT computations can produce highly accurate NMR parameters in well-defined crystalline organic compounds.

Structural Analysis of a Banana-Liquid Crystal in the B4 Phase by Solid-State NMR

In this paper, we present a structural investigation of 1,3-phenylene bis[4-((4-10-decyloxyphenyl)iminomethyl)-benzoate], known as a banana-liquid crystal, in the B4 phase, which was performed by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methodology combined with quantum chemical calculations. The present solid-state NMR measurements including (13)C CPMAS, 2D TOSS-deTOSS, dipole-dephase, 1D and 2D EXSY, and MAS-j-HMQC provided accurate spectral assignments and unambiguous NMR parameters such as (13)C chemical shift tensors, which were used for construction of the three-dimensional structure with the aid of density functional theory calculations. In the obtained molecular structure, two arms of the bent-core molecule are asymmetrically expanded such that the direction of the dipole moment is off alignment with respect to the middle line of the center benzene ring. It is this antisymmetric structure that is the origin of the twisted helical system in the B4 phase.